In this week's edition of "The Missing," we revisit the mysterious disappearance of Brian W. Sullivan, a 19-year-old resident of Churchville, New York, who went missing in July 2007.
"I was given your name in hopes that maybe you could possibly help us," Brian's mother, Barbara Sullivan, said in a recent e-mail. "We have had no leads or anything from the police or the private investigator we have hired and we are desperate for information."
According to Barbara, an officer from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office contacted her on July 8, 2007, and told her that Brian's car, a 1995 red Pontiac Sunfire, had been found abandoned at the end of a dead-end street in Gates, New York. Barbara had not seen her son since the previous evening and calls to his cell phone went straight to voicemail. Concerned, Barbara and her husband decided to drive to the dead-end street to look over Brian's car and see if anything was out of place.
"We did not have a key, so we were unable to get inside," Barbara said. "When we looked inside we saw Brian's wallet and various other personal effects laying on the front seat. Hoping Brian would be coming back, we decided to leave the car where it was."
Unfortunately, Brian never returned for his vehicle and his parents had to have it towed. Not wanting to let their imaginations run wild, Brian's parents initially suspected he might have run off without telling anyone. "He was undecided about returning to college and we had been discussing that he should either go back to school or get a job."
During the course of the investigation into Brian's disappearance, a Burger King receipt was found inside his car. The receipt showed that Brian had purchased food on July 8, 2007, at 5:38 am, from the chain's restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates, New York. It was also revealed that on that same day, at 6:10 am, Brian had left a voicemail message for a friend. Unfortunately, neither clue led to Brian's whereabouts.
"The police, with cooperation from the Army National Guard, conducted a large search with horses, dogs, and helicopters but they found nothing. The search dogs did not even pick up on a scent," Barbara said.
As the search dwindled down, Brian's parents took the lead by posting flyers and starting a MySpace profile specifically devoted to their son's disappearance. They also reached out to 18 Wheel Angels, an organization of truck drivers who volunteer their time by posting missing person posters along their routes. Brian's parents are also offering a reward of $1,000.00 for information in the case.
"Our life has not been the same since Brian disappeared," Barbara said. "Someone out there has to know what happened to him or where he is today."
Please take a moment to visit the MySpace page Brian's family has set up, and if you have any information, contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at 585-753-4177.
If you are a family member of a missing loved one and have a case you would like covered here, contact me via e-mail. If you are a reader who would like to help, please spread the word about this blog so others can find us. The more people who see these stories the better chances someone might come forward with information.
